Review: LG Intuition for Verizon Wireless

The LG Intuition is not for the feint of heart, nor the small of hand. It's comically large, but carrying it around and using it day in and day out is no joke.

The overall appearance is fine, I suppose, with black plastics, chrome-y accents, and glass. When you call it a black slab, you're really not kidding; it redefines the word. I like that the back cover of the Intuition has a dimpled pattern with a matte finish. (Plain, glossy plastic would have made me cry.)

If you thought the Galaxy Note was awkward, the Intuition is even more so. It's wider than the Note by about a centimeter, thanks to the 4:3 aspect ratio display, and it's completely uncomfortable to use and hold in one hand. The Intuition is a two-handed device, plain and simple. I have large hands, and I can't wrap my fingers all the way around it. I doubt even Wilt Chamberlain could hold this phone comfortably.

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Want to stick it in your pocket? I hope you have some large pockets and loose jeans. The other night, I stuck it in my jeans and walked about a half mile to see a local band at my favorite bar. The Intuition barely fit. I noticed its presence with every step to the bar and home. It was more comfortable in my back pocket, but also more likely to be snapped in two if you forget it's there. Sitting in a car with the Intuition in my front pocket was painful.

The materials and build quality of the Intuition are fine. The fit and finish is particularly good, and nothing about the Intuition comes off as cheap or shoddy.

As you might have guessed, the front of the Intuition is all about the display. It measures 5 inches across. The 4:3 aspect ratio - the same as older television and computer monitors - is what gives it the gawky width. Worse, there's plenty of bezel surrounding the display, especially above and below the screen.

There are four capacitive buttons below the display, and I had a hard time adjusting to them. The backlighting for these vital control keys goes dark far too quickly, in about 5 seconds. The buttons were responsive, though. The real problem is the placement of the back button. It's the left-most button on the phone. I hold cell phones in my right hand. My thumb could not reach the back button. I had to use my other hand to press it. This gets old quickly. If you hold your phone in your left hand, this won't be an issue.

The SIM card tray is on the left edge of the Intuition. As with other devices that use microSIM cards, you'll need a small paperclip to pop the tray open. The volume buttons are on the right edge of the Intuition. The two buttons are small, but I thought they were easy to find and use. There are also two buttons on top. The lock button has a good feel and I didn't have any trouble using it. The other button is a dedicated launcher for LG's QuickMemo app. QuickMemo is LG's rival to Samsung's S Note app. It's a bit odd for an app to have a dedicated button, but the button works fine. There is no dedicated camera button, which is a shame considering there's more than enough room for one.

Looking for the ports? They are on top, both the 3.5mm headset jack and microUSB port. The microUSB port is protected by a little sliding door. This is one of my favorite setups for microUSB ports. The port is protected from pocket lint, but not by an annoying hatch that sticks out. The Intuition's battery is non-removable, so the back cover remains snugly in place.

For me, the Intuition is simply too difficult to use one-handed. I often resorted to using two hands, or putting the Intuition on a flat surface to interact with. It's not the type of phone you can use easily while striding through an airport towing luggage with the other hand. This is important to consider before purchasing this device.